Synopses & Reviews
Life of William Blake By AlexanderGilchrist Despite the flow of books on William Blake, the first full-length life, published in 1863, remains essential to those who would understand one of the greatest of Englishmen, for the author, Alexander Gilchrist, had one advantage which has been denied to his successors - he could still find people who had known Blake, in his room looking out over the Thames or on Hampstead Heath, and who could report later, in the words of George Richmond: I felt like I was walking on air, and as if I had been talking to the Prophet Isaiah. These personal reminiscences give the book an actuality which few of the later ones have touched. The second and best edition of Gilchrist's biography, upon which this edition is based, originally appeared in 1880, and has long been out of print and obtainable only at a price which placed it out of the reach of the general reader and ordinary student. Modern research, which has done so much to throw light on certain aspects of the life of William Blake, has also shown that Gilchrist was sometimes in error in the facts he recorded these have been corrected and, for the benefit of the student, the editor has supplied a section of notes amplifying the text (including some information not previously published) which should also act as a guide to those who wish to proceed further. The many quotations have been brought into line with the standard text of Blake's writings edited by Mr. Geoffrey Keynes, and the book is illustrated with Blake's woodcuts to Virgil, executed in 1821, which are generally accounted among his finest works. Altogether this new edition of the standard Life of Blake should prove a fitting testament to the great man and his work.
Synopsis
This vintage book contains a detailed biography of William Blake. William Blake (1757-1827) was an English painter and poet. As with many of his ilk, Blake's artistic endeavours were unrecognised during his lifetime, but he is considered today to be one of the most seminal figures in the history of poetry. This volume is highly recommended for those with an interest in poetry, and would make for a worthy addition to any bookshelf. Contents include: "Childhood", "Engraver's Apprentice", "A Boy's Poems", "Student and Lover", "Introduction To The Polite World", "Struggle and Sorrow", "Mediation: Notes on Lavater", "Poems of Manhood", "Books of Prophecy", "Bookseller Johnson's", "The Gates of Paradise, America, Etc.", "The Songs of Experience", "Productive Years", "At Work For The Publishers", "A New Life", "Poet Hayley and Felpham", etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction. This book was first published in 1863.